Means for attaching telegraphone-control mechanism to telephones.



W. H. THOMPSON. MEANS FOR ATTAOHING TELEGRAPHONE CONTROL MECHANISM TO TELEPHONES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8, 1908.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

T0 TELEGRAPHONE WILBUR H. THOMPSON, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

MEANS FOR ATTACHING TELEGRAPHONE-CONTROLMECHANISM TO TELEPHONES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 8, 1908.

Patented Feb. 15, 1910.

Serial No. 425,826.

use in connection with other kinds of tele- State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Attaching Telegra hone-Control Mechanism to Telephones, 0 which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is an improvement in systems and apparatus for using the telegraphone in connection with telephone lines,

whereby the operation of making a recordof ordinary telephone conversation is facilitated, while the use of either the telephone or the telegraphone independently of each other, is not prevented.

"The advantages of my invention are afforded primarily by a switching device which is attached directly to the telephone set andby means of which the various instruments and devices of the telephone and the telegraphone can be thrown intoand out of use at pleasure. In another application filed by me March 2, 1908, Serial No. 418,693, I have described a method of carrying on telephone conversation and at the same time recording the speech of both parties wherein the entire voice currents are utilized at the home station to record the an elevation of an ordinary telep one sethaving attached thereto the switching devices comprised by m invention. Fig. 2 is a conventlonal and iagrammatic illustration of the switching devices and the telephone and telegraphone instruments and apparatus.

An ordinary type of telephone set known as the desk set consists of a column on which are su ported the transmitter, the receiver, and t e hook switch, and I have'applied my invention to such a set of instruments, although it is obviously adapted for phone sets.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates an 011111131) telephone transmitter supported upon the column 2 rising from a base 3.

4 is the ordinary telephone receiver which normally hangs upon the hook 5, which hook is arranged as usual to cut the receiver and transmitter into and out of circuit. To the column 2, I attach, by means of suitable clamps 6, a switch box 7 having inside a series of movable and stationary contacts adapted to be thrown into two different combinations of connections by means of an externally arranged switch lever 8, which may be thrown into one position by hand and into the other position by the operation of the hook switch. For this purpose, a lever 9 is pivoted to the column 2 and projects at one end under a tail-piece carried by the switch lever 8, and at the other end is connected by means of a link 10 with thehook switch 1ever. Thus, whenever the receiver 1s placed upon the hook 5, switch lever 8 is moved to the position T, and when the receiver 4 is removed from' the hook, the switch lever is free to be moved by hand to the'position R If the switch lever 8 is already in the position T when the receiver 4 is placed upon the hook, it will not be disturbed. The usual flexible conducting cords 11 connecting with the receiver leads to certain contacts inside of the switch box 7, while another flexible cord 12 leads from other contacts inside of the box into the base 3 of the telephone set, where the usual connections with the transmitter and with the line are effected, and from the base the cord 13 to the bell and line leads. There is also proceeding from the box a cable 14, containing a number of conductors leading to the telegration and might be located an where in proximity to the telephone set, ut for convenience are placed in the box 7 At 18 is a plug hole containin a s ringqack for the insertion of a plug which in I be hereinafter referred to. T

Referrin now to Fig. 2, the switch mechinside of the dotted line inclosure. 19 indicates the obliterating'ma et of the telegraphone usedordinarily f b i the purpose of cleaning the recording body before -it passes under the influence of the recording magnet. 20 is the recording magnet which may also be used as a reproducing or listen-' ing magnet when it is not in use for recording purposes. 21 is a special reproducing or listening magnet in use simultaneously with the recording magnet. 22 is a battery supplying the constant current for the obliteratmg magnet, and 23 to 33 respectively indicate the contacts of the switch box which are afiected when the switch lever 8 is moved from one position to the other.

Let it be assumed that when the telephone is to be used in the ordinary way, and no rec'- ord is desired of the conversation, the switch lever 8 is in the position T, and when the telephone is to be used and a record of the conversation is to be made at the same time, the switch lever 8 is to be in the position R. The circuits and operation will 'be as follows: For ordinary telephone conversation without recording, switch 8 being in the position T, the contacts 23 to 33 will be as indicated in the drawing, the brackets a indicating which contacts are in connection, the others being open. In this condition of the switch, the c1rcuit of battery 22 is open for economical reasons, as there is no use for the obliterating magnet 19. The recording magnet 20 is connected in a closed circuit with a special telegraphone receiver 34 by way of the wires 35, 36, 37, contacts 25 and 26, and wire 38.

This makes it possible to use the magnet 20 as a reproducing magnet and to listen with the receiver 34 to any record that may be upon the telegraphone, w.hile the telephone is in use as ordinarily. This use of the telegraphone may or may not be taken advantage of as occasion requires; the provision is mademerely for the purpose of enabling any record upon the telegraphone to be listened to, even though the telephone is in use. The ordinary telephone receiver 4 is connected to line by wa of wire 39, contacts 32 and 31, wire 40 to inc and back by wire 41, contacts 28 and 29 and wire 42 to the receiver. An ordinary telephone conversation can therefore be carried on by using the ordinary receiver 4 and transmltter 1. In this case, the

circuit of the special reproducing or listening magnet 21 1s open at the contacts 30 and .33. Assuming the receiver 4 to be hung up after the conversation is finished, this does 'not disturb switch lever 8, and the connections are left in the same condition as when convers' that at any time pending the receipt of another call, any record on the telegraphone can be listened to at the receiver 34 without disturbing the circuits.

When the subscriber desires to record a conversation over the telephone, to which he is a party, he throws the switch 8 by hand to the positlon R at the same time that he removes the receiver 4 from the hook. This shifts the connections in the box 7 the.

brackets b then indicating the closed connections, while all others are open. At the same time, one of the buttons 15, 16, 17 is pushed to start the motor of the telegraphone forward. The circuit of the obliterating magnet 19 is closed at 23, 24, so that the recording body will be presented clean to the recording magnet 20. The telegraphone receiver 34 is open-circuited at the contact 25. The speech currents from the home and distant stations will come into the switch box from the line 12 by wire 43, and will travel thence by wires 44 and 35 through the recording magnet 20 of the telegraphone, by. wire 38, contacts 26 and 27 and wire 41 to the line. The speech of both parties is therefore recorded by the telegraphone, but the currents thereof do not flow through the receiver 4, and the home subscriber does not directly hear the voice currents of the line. The reproducing or listening magnet 21 of the telegraphone is, however, located immediately behind the recording magnet and reproduces the record almost instantaneously after it has been recorded. The reproduced currents will flow ordinarily by wire 45, spring 46, contacts 47, (which are ordinarily closed by reason of the absence of plug P from the jack) wire 48, contacts 33 and 32, wire 39, receiver 4, wire 42, contacts 29' and 30, wire 49 and wire 50 to magnet 21. Thus the record'on the telegraphone is heard at the receiver 4 almost instantly after it is made on the telegraphone, and the subscriber is able to carry on a connected conversation with the distant party, the record being made upon the telegraphone with the full available current upon the line which yields a strong record and does not unbalance the telephone circuits.

On certain occasions when the lineover which the conversation is carried, is very long, or when the transmission is poor for any reason, therecord made by the telegraphone may be weaker than usual, and 1t is desirable to use a more sensitive or loud speaking receiver than the usual telephone receiver 4 is found to be. For this reason, I have provided the spring jack and plug referred to herein, the plug 1? being connected with the more sensitive receiver 51. The jack is located in the switch box 7 and the plug P is inserted at the opening 18. This 51, the ordinary receiver 4 is simply allowed to remain ofl the hook, 'so that the connections may not be disturbed.

When the conversation is finished, receiver 4 is hung up in the usual way, and this automatically throws switch 8 from R to T, thus making it possible to use the telegraphone in the intervals between messages; at the same time, another of the three push buttons is actuated by hand to stop the telegraphone motor. By adding a pairof contacts, such as indicated in dotted lines at 56 and 57, Fig. 2, the movement of the switch 8 to the position R can be utilized to close the circuit of the telegraphone motor, thereby automatically starting the telegraphone at the same time that the recording circuits are put into operation.

\Vhat I claim, is

1. In a combined telephone and telegraphone system, the combination of a telephone line adapted for inter-communication, a telegraphone, means for connecting the telegraphone with the telephone line for recording the telephone conversation, a telephone receiver and a switch whereby said receiver may be used at will for ordinary telephonic. communication or for listening to arecord of the telephone conversation.

2. The combination of an inter-communicating telephone system, a telegraphone provided with a recording and a reproducing magnet, and a switch for connecting the re-' ceiver of the inter-communicating system with the reproducing magnet of the telegraphone.

3. The combination of an inter-communicating telephone system, a telegraphone comprising a recording and a reproducing magnet, and switching mechanism adapted to connect the recordlng magnet with the telephone line and the reproducing magnet With the receiver of the telephone line.

4. The combination of an inter-communicating telephone system, a telegraphone, a switch for connecting the telegraphone to, and disconnecting it from, the telephone system, and means whereby the restoration of the telephone system to its normal conditionwill automatically disconnect the telegraphone therefrom.

5. The combination of an inter-communicating telephone system comprising a telephone receiver, a telegraphone comprising another telephone recelver, and a switching mechanism ada ted to automatically connect the secon receiver with the telegraphone when the telephone system is restored to normal condition after conversation.

6. The combination of an inter-communieating telephone system comprising an ordinary telephone receiver, a telegraphone comprising a reproducing magnet, a sensitive or loud speaking telephone receiver, and a switch whereby either the ordinary receiver or the sensitive receiver may be connected in circuit with the reproducing magnet of the telegraphone.

In witness whereof, I subscribe my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

WILBUR H. THOMPSON. Vitnesses:

WM. D. COOKE,

FREDERIC SOHAEFER. 

